:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56487217/460558703.0.jpg)
It’s here. After almost nine months, college football is finally here.
(OK, if you’re a USF fan, it’s been here for a week already. Just go with us.)
The first weekend of the season is sort of like when Willy Wonka turns everyone loose in the Chocolate Room. So much to see, so much to eat, and it’s all fantastic. Even Kent State vs. Clemson.
Here’s the full TV schedule for today, followed by what we’ll have our eyes on.
saturday.csv
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Game | Time | Channel |
| Akron at Penn State | 11:00 AM | ABC |
| Ball State at Illinois | 11:00 AM | BTN |
| Bowling Green at Michigan State | 11:00 AM | ESPNU |
| Kent State at Clemson | 11:00 AM | ESPN |
| Maryland at Texas | 11:00 AM | Fox Sports 1 |
| Missouri State at Missouri | 11:00 AM | SEC Network |
| Wyoming at Iowa | 11:00 AM | BTN |
| California at North Carolina | 11:20 AM | ACC Network |
| Bethune Cookman at Miami | 11:30 AM | FSN Affiliates |
| Portland State at Oregon State | 1:00 PM | PAC-12 Network / PAC-12 Video |
| NC State vs. South Carolina (Charlotte) | 2:00 PM | ESPN |
| Florida vs. Michigan (Arlington) | 2:30 PM | ABC |
| Nevada at Northwestern | 2:30 PM | BTN |
| Temple at Notre Dame | 2:30 PM | NBC |
| UTEP at Oklahoma | 2:30 PM | FOX |
| Troy at Boise State | 2:45 PM | ESPNU |
| Charleston Southern at Mississippi State | 3:00 PM | SEC Network |
| Eastern Washington at Texas Tech | 3:00 PM | FSN Affiliates |
| Kentucky at Southern Miss | 3:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Western Michigan at USC | 4:15 PM | PAC-12 Network |
| Appalachian State at Georgia | 5:15 PM | ESPN / WatchESPN |
| Central Arkansas at Kansas State | 6:00 PM | ESPN3 |
| Liberty at Baylor | 6:00 PM | Fox Sports 2 |
| SEMO at Kansas | 6:00 PM | ESPN3 |
| Butler at Illinois State | 6:30 PM | ESPN3 |
| Georgia Southern at Auburn | 6:30 PM | SEC Network |
| Louisville vs. Purdue (Indianapolis) | 6:30 PM | FOX |
| South Alabama at Ole Miss | 6:30 PM | ESPNU / WatchESPN |
| Alabama vs. Florida State (Atlanta) | 7:00 PM | ABC |
| Arkansas State at Nebraska | 7:00 PM | BTN |
| Jackson State at TCU | 7:00 PM | FSN Affiliates |
| Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee | 7:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Southern Utah at Oregon | 7:15 PM | PAC-12 Network |
| BYU vs. LSU (New Orleans) | 8:30 PM | ESPN |
| Montana State at Washington State | 9:30 PM | Fox Sports 1 |
| Northern Arizona at Arizona | 10:00 PM | PAC-12 Network |
Let’s see here:
12:00 p.m.: Maryland vs. Texas could be interesting, as might be California-UNC. Also Iowa is totally losing to Wyoming!
3:30/4:00 p.m.: USF plays Stony Brook at 4, but when that game gets out of hand/is inevitably delayed by lightning, you can turn on the big Michigan-Florida game to see if the Gators have enough players who haven’t been suspended to form a full offense and defense. Temple also travels to Notre Dame, who went 4-8 last year.
8:00 p.m.: Come on, you’re watching FSU-Bama like everyone else. Since I have nothing else to recommend, I’m going to talk about Jimbo Fisher for a second. I’m not as bothered by him shutting it down to the media this week as a lot of people are. Think about how many “journalists” from AL dot com must have been slithering around Tallahassee this week. Would you want to take questions from guys named Buck Beauregarde about whether staying within 20 of the Tide is a moral victory? God no. Jimbo took the prudent course of action.
BONUS SUNDAY AND MONDAY ACTION: Texas A&M-UCLA should go a long way to deciding which coach is the first one to get fired this season. Virginia Tech-West Virginia in Landover is going to be a banger. And nothing would be funnier than watching Butch Jones turn a new shade of purple on Monday night as the Vols get beat by Georgia Tech.